Charlotte City Council has approved a four-story apartment community beside the Cochran Commons shopping center on Mallard Creek Church Road.

Next up: the council on March 19 will hold hearings for two proposed townhome communities within University Research Park.

Mallard Pointe apartments approved

High Associates plans to build 260 apartments in three buildings between its office building and the Cochran Commons shopping center. City Council OK’d the rezoning for the apartments on Feb. 19.

High Associates, which built and leases the nearby Mallard Pointe and Prosperity Point office buildings, will extend David Taylor Drive to the 11.8-acre site. The plan allows for extensive open area including a 120-foot distance between homes on nearby Cypress view Drive.

The site previously was zoned for up to two offices buildings up to 65 feet high with a total of 201,000 square feet of space. The new zoning limits the buildings to 57 feet in height; the site plan calls for the smallest of the buildings to be located closest to the nearby neighborhood.

Charlotte’s planning staff noted in its report that the development will allow 22 units per acre – higher than current recommendations for multifamily communities in similar locations.

One of three buildings at Mallard Pointe – click to enlarge

However, the staff noted, the developer’s commitment to buffers, open areas, architectural details and other design standards “make this use compatible with surrounding single-family development.

The new zoning is expected to generate less traffic than the former office zoning would have created. The community is expected to add about 35 students to nearby schools.

Keith McVean, a consultant speaking for High Associates, said that the city is installing a new traffic signal at Mallard Creek Church Road and David Taylor Drive with support from local businesses owners. The signal will benefit the many nearby retail and office centers as well as University Research Park.

• For more details, click here to visit the approved rezoning petition’s webpage on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Department website.

Hearings for 2 townhome communities

The Charlotte City Council will hold public hearings on two townhome communities being proposed by Mattamy Homes within University Research Park.

The March 19 hearings are for 97 single-family attached townhomes on 20.9 acres between David Taylor Drive and Mallard Creek Church Road, and for 167 single-family attached townhomes on 38 acres along Governor Hunt Road.

Petition details

Both petitions have common elements – sidewalks and planting strips along all public and private streets; extensive land set aside for tree save areas, water retention and separation from adjoining development; and the pledge to “substantially complete” all transportation improvements before residents can begin to occupy the first building.

For further details, click on the links below to each proposed petition’s webpage on the Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Department website.

• Petition 2017-132 – 20.9 acres between Mallard Creek Church Road and David Taylor Drive.
• Petition 2017-133 – 38 acres on Governor Hunt Road east of Mallard Creek Road.